As the nursery admission process kickstarts in the country, some parents are still at sea about what they should be looking for in a good school and how to approach it. Deebashree Mohanty speaks to some mothers to share their experience
‘Stop the panic. Stick to the basics’
Nursery admissions — the moment a first time parent hears this, it sends them into a panic mode. But that is not the correct approach, says Swathika Ganesh, mother of two. She discovered that the admission process is not a piece of cake when she was shortlisting schools for her children in the Capital. “I am not very acquainted with the format and the schools out here. And I had heard a lot about how the nursery admission can be a harrowing experience. I was lucky that my husband and I had zeroed in on an upcoming school in the Greater Noida expressway. At least the first part of the problem was dealt with,” she says.
Was that the end of the problemIJ “No, not really. After having closed admission formalities, we were still nervous whether my son, Arya, will get a seat or not,” she tells you from Noida.
When it comes to getting your child admitted into nursery, there are a lot of things that need careful consideration. “First thing first, one must decide on a few schools that fits the bill. Then, the onus lies on the parents to do a recce of the school and take feedback from students and pass-outs. A honest feedback can go a long way in establishing a school’s credentials. Third comes the admission procedure. It is an imperative that parents discuss with the authorities about the process and the tests involved much beforehand,” she says.
She agrees that the preparation must be in place a few months prior to the admission process but she strongly believes that panicking is not getting you anywhere. “Take a breath and stop overreacting! It may seem difficult but eventually, your child will get admitted into a school. What is it that you, as a parent need to do firstIJ Stop looking far away from your house. Make sure you pick a school that is near your place of stay. It’s too early and too taxing on your child to travel more than 5 km to his school,” the mother says.
She adds that it is important for the parents to pre-decide on what sort of education they want for their ward. “Research on the school’s track record if you intend to make your child study long term in the same school, because at the end of the day marks and exams are a reality in India.
“If you feel that the school lays more emphasis on academics, then you must strike a balance at home by giving your child a window to explore their creative side. Do not listen to stories of stress due to academics because every coin has two sides, if you listen to stress stories you may also hear praise for the same,” she says.
Ganesh is a member of many parent forums on the Internet and this, she says, helped her a lot during her admission days. “At these parent forums you can find reviews, parent experiences and views posted about the school. This will come in handy,” she states.
Her final word — “Do not go by the resort like feel offered by the new lot of schools. An educational institution is a place for your child to learn and shape his future. Therefore, look for what they can offer your child and how you can shape it. Wish you the best of luck,” she signs off.
‘Responsive school with good facilities’
There are many ways to define a ‘good’ school. Before parents finalise on a set of institutions for their children, it is crucial that they define this ‘good’ for themselves. like the needs of every child differ, similarly every parent’s demand for a school is not similar. I may be looking for an educational institute that offers extra-curricular, there will be another set of parents looking for academics. So, the first rule in the book is to reach your own definition of a good school,” Debashree Patnaik, mother of a five-year-old son, says.
Patnaik believes that the nursery education scene in the Capital is upbeat with as many as 37 schools added to the list so far. “When I started looking for a school for my son, there were a plethora of options with each school offering a different mode of teaching than the other. In the end, it all boiled down to the proximity of the school to home, whether it is something I could afford and what was the over-all vision of the founders and the head of the school. Infrastructure also paid a key role in this decision making. In the formative years of my child, I did not want to deprive him off basic facilities,” Patnaik shares her experience while school shopping in 2013.
Apart from these considerations, she advises parents to look into the security aspect of the school too before applying for the same. “Is the teaching at par with global standardsIJ Are the teachers well equippedIJ What about the student to teacher ratioIJ What extra life skill can the school provide to my childIJ,” Patnaik says are some of the questions that a parent should ask of the school. last, but not the least, this mother advises you to get a ready reckoner with important dates so that you don’t miss out on a school simply because you had no idea.
“A warning: Never, ever put your child into a school where the authorities are not responsive and do not pay heed to your concerns,” Patnaik says.
‘Don’t listen to hearsay, just go with the flow’
For Bhavana Sethi, a parent should start looking for schools a year before they intend to send their ward to one. “One doesn’t have any idea about preliminary education and your child’s acceptance on this new milestone. This leads to a lot of stress,” she says. When she set out for her daughter’s admission, Sethi went in with a positive outlook and it is this perspective that helped her pick out the best one for Samaira. “I wanted a different kind of a format where she gets to explore and experience and not just learn. Thankfully, there are many such un-conventional schools dotting the Capital,” the proud mother, says.
Sethi insists that much of the stress happens due to hearsay. “When you hear people around you talking about how difficult it is to get admissions in a desired school, usually you are misled. If you deliberate on a well-though out plan, everything materialises,” she says.
Here’s her step-wise guide to help parents seeking admission this year:
Step # 1 Educate yourself on options available.
Step # 2 Visit the school often and ask questions about the method of teaching.
Step # 3 Discuss about what exactly you want from the school
Step # 4 Initiate a conversation and take your child during each visit so that he/ she gets used to the place.
In summation, Sethi’s advise to parents is only this — “Don't go by what you want for your child. Go with what you think your child will like. Opt for a school that you know will open new horizons for your child,” she says in conclusion.
‘School should be homely and warm’
Nursery is a very important stage in your child’s life. It shapes his/her personality and gives them a sound foundation. So, it is natural that parents want the best of school for their child’s primary years,” Dr Neha Arora, says, adding that this is when a child builds a relationship with the school and hence it is important to find the right institution. “As a mother of two children, I have always been very finicky about my children’s pre-primary schooling. They learn life skills during these formative years and a good school should be able to provide a good platform,” Arora, a dentist from Noida, shares her experience.
So, what is it that defines a good schoolIJ “I would say the teachers and the head of the institution. If they have a broad vision, the students will benefit largely. Nursery educators should be sophisticated, extremely loving and caring towards the students. At this level, the teacher should be able to create a bond between herself and the child. When I went about looking for schools in Delhi NCR for my daughter Amaira, the first thing that I did was to chat with some of the teachers and staff of the school before beginning the admission process,” she tells you. A thorough search led her to a posh Montessori school in the NCR.
Arora’s advise to parents embarking on this nursery admission bandwagon is simple — just follow your heart and enroll your child into a warm school where he/ she will enjoy spending time.
“Avoid comparing between students and schools. Set your own parameters and just go by them. Remember each parent’s demand from the school will be different,” she says.
However, there are a few crucial points to check before going ahead with the procedure. Arora lists down a few of them:
1. language: “Visit the school a number of times before buying the application form. Get a feel of the class rooms and the general language around the corridors. If you think children are too boorish or use inappropriate language, maybe you should re-consider this option,” she opines.
2. Environment: Next most important factor to consider before going ahead with a school is to judge it’s environment.
“The institution must be homely and not too flashy. And for pre-primary classes, have a look at the activity arena and the play ground to see if there are ample educational toys to keep them interested and happy at the same time,” she insists.